Trona DEMYSTIFIED, what is really out there??? (tour of the trona, ca area)
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- In this video, you will take a drive through the Searles Valley area and get a firsthand look at its unique beauty. You will learn about the various landmarks and local areas that make this area so special.
Video by Brian Wangenheim Photography
Serving Kern, San Bernardino and L.A. counties - Zábava
This is where I grew up. I loved my life there. It was a lot different back then. My parents were Ted & Orrene Murrin. They raised 6 children there. Much love Valerie.
Thanks for covering this and letting people know that it is a community and it's not a ghost town.
As you said , "beat up appearance" you panned left to an abandoned building...that use to be " Argus Appliance" which my uncle owned and operated for 35 years. He sold household appliances to the city of Argus and Trona (big emphasis on Maytag washers/ dryers / and refrigeration ). That ended upon his death in 1990 and the shop closed . Since closing and and my aunt passing, the building was boarded up and abandoned. Some squatters moved in for awhile then left and what you see is the end result of many years of just standing in the desert environment.
Just moved here. Loving the peace and quiet. People, including youngsters are respectful, helpful and untouched by urbanism in bigger towns and cities.
We bought sight unseen and though this Friday is to be 113 we understand the tradeoffs needed to make a go of it. Thx fir the video.
I have been here just over a year and I love it
The high school Gym. In 1956 Burroughs High (China Lake) played Bell Gardens High for state small school basketball championship in that gym. Burroughs won by 1 point. A cheer leader fainted and was removed in an ambulance. My memory of Trona includes climbing Trona peak and falling while climbing the Pinacles, and of course swimming in large salt water pool on east end of town,
This video does not focus on the ruins. THANK YOU! Now I'm more likely to visit Trona .
Of all the CZcams videos of Trona, this is the best, most pictorially and narrative accurate. I live in Ridgecrest and have visited friends in this town for the last 40 years. And yes, I have friends buried in the cemetary that was pictured.
Great video. Thanks for making this.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the video. It changed my perspective of the area. I’ve seen other videos that focus only on the abandoned buildings.
Thanks to Brian for the good video. I grew up in the old Westend village. It was pretty much emptied of houses in 1963 replaced by the newer development on the hillside down the road, where people owned their homes. The big white chemical dump is lime not trona. Westend. had kilns to burn limestone to produce CO2 that was bubbled through the brine from the lake to produce soda ash.
Pat Dunne THS class of 60. Yes I am a chemist long retired.
Excellent video! I worked at the plant for a bit a long time ago. Your attitude is awesome. Good on you.
I’m goin to be retiring in a few years and wondering if there is anything a hobby prospector can do to find gold, minerals??
I do enjoy those run down relics also. I'm trying to see if I can get a property there. My friend got one for a reasonable price. I'm in Ridgecrest right now. We always eat at Esparza and Trails. Always trying to support them
Very cool
Best time to buy. If you can do your own repairs you can definitely get a place around $30k that's good sized and not to major of repairs.
Trona was a thriving company town in the 1960's when my dad made sales calls there.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing💙💙💙
thank you for sharing that was great see you
01:16: white formation is some of the remains of the sediments from the lake that filled Searles and Indian Wells Valleys. The Trona Pinnacles were deposits from freshwater springs on the bottom of the lake. 02:30: Back in the little draw are lake terraces formed on the shore of the lake. Trona is a mineral extracted from the salt deposits left when the lake evaporated.
Your perspective as a newcomer is interesting. Thanks for including the pool, I wondered if it survived the earthquake. You need to see the museum for a history of the area and attend a gem and mineral show with the field trip out on the digging area and then post about what you've learned and seen.
The pool is nice. The kids love it. However, getting to go to the museum is a tricky business. Last time we tried, it was closed during business hours.
The gem show is no more...
Trona (trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate, also sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate, Na2CO3•2NaHCO3•3H2O) is a non-marine evaporite mineral.[4][6] It is mined as the primary source of sodium carbonate in the United States. Trona is a common source of soda ash, which is a significant economic commodity because of its applications in manufacturing glass, chemicals, paper, detergents, and textiles.
I remember 2 years ago, while vissiting the US, I was driving back and forth for a few days between one of the valleys and Ridgecrest, trying to get a sighting of the air force doing their practice runs. On the way, I always drove through Trona. Fond memories.
Navy.
Looks nice in its own way!
I live in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. I commonly drive through both Argus and Trona in the Searles Valley on my way to Death Valley National Park. Also coming home from Death Valley National Park I drive through Trona. There are sections of Trona that are run down. It looks like in times past the mining of Trona and other minerals in this area had a more lived in and active town. But a cut back in the mining of Trona and other minerals has resulted in sections of Trona being abandoned and run down. However there are some people living in this sparsely populated area.
Thank you for such an awesome & informative view on my old stomping grounds.
I tried to subscribe , but , CZcams says I have too many subscriptions !!!! Thanks for making this very interesting travel video !!!!
I watched a father towing his daughter on a raft after/during a flash flood. The “factory” glowed eerily through the steady rain and fog. There was a large building that had burned down and left to the elements near the “factory”. But hey-trona is the jumping off point to Death Valley and makes me happy to be taking on fuel and supplies on the way there. I have gotten some true photographic gems near trona over past 40 years-
Way before the community pool the entire town use to go out by the airport to a place then called "Valley Wells" which had a huge in-ground pool surrounded by trees . Great place but it long since been closed and abandoned. Check out he golf course too , I believe it is still operational..
We used to go there. It was Fan0tastic. We lived in the Indian Wells Valley 1981-2015.
I was 9 when my family moved from Riverside to Trona.
My grand pa was the pastor of the assembly of God church.
My dad worked at the plant.
My uncle worked at Hessmans market.
Mrs Husted was my 4th grade teacher. My first year in trona
My class mates
Were Larry George Tom David Howdy Julie Correy carla terry leeann
Russ tad steve mike montee paul Joseph
Dianna Kimberly Norris Lance Cindy Marla patty Denise Melanie Trudy Kent ken Barry Charlie Randy James Barbra chris cathy
Fred Robin Ruth and lots more....you know who you are lol!
Most interesting teacher
Mr Spence! Lol@
Best place to be.
Valley wells.....
Camped at Indian joes.
Bought clothes and shoes at Maurys .
At at the Lunch box cafe
And D&C resturaunt.
1972 thru78.
Came back to visit a few times.last time was 2013 for the 100year anniversary of the town.
Use to be only one fish rock!! Was the top one.
I drove past Pioneer Point in Sep 2017 and there was a scrap yard with old tv, cars etc, just opposite Bri-Mar Rd
I've lived in non conforming buildings most of my life And I loved all of them
I have a property in Trona myself. Bought it shortly before the earthquake 3 years ago. Also a rail buff & love taking photos of trains. There is no actual train or rail museum there. What car was there I believe represented only the facade of the museum itself. Not an actual train museum.
Did you visit there when they were operating the red and silver engines ? Primarily SD-40s etc.
Oh it's a museum, it's just now all older ladies that run the museums have now passed away or have health complications.
Amazing vide and town.
Well done, always have been interested in this area especially the Trona Railroad which is very historic. Hope you will produce more videos about the area.
Thanks for the memories I grew up there from 1960 to 1974 nothing looks the same 😂the pool was out past pine point. I think of Trona through the years I had a lot of great experiences and friends and wonder what became of them.
GO TORNADOS
I was born in Trona in 1957 and raised in Ridgecrest/ China Lake
We Railfans luv driving down in there to watch the action. Miss the red and silver scheme of the Trona Railway units : >/ . . Great Video !
Those were leased units. I think one is still in service on the east coast. The ones we have now are all ex UP and SP SD40-2's and SD40T-2's. Still have an old kodachrome for yard switching and a genset unit for switching also.
Thanks for your post. I was stationed at China Lake in the mid-60s, and passed through Trona a few times. I amagine that the snow-capped mountain we saw in the video is Telescope Peak in the Panamint Range. Sports Illusrated did a feature on the Trona Golf Course, with its sand greens. The article stated that it was against the law to grow grass in Trona
I know of couple that lives in Trona, they had a large home he built back about 1960 but the earthquake caused enough damage that they moved to a smaller house they also owned
Considered buying property in Trona recently. Shopping is a big issue, but inability to maintain a cell signal was a deal breaker.
Verizon provides perfect cell service. Problem solved 👍
As you enter the town from the pinnacles, ypu enter Westend, with the plant located on the right, and about 1/2 mile down the road you have Westend hpusing on the left, and about 1/8 a mile on the right you have what is called South Trona, as you continue traveling, the area between South trona and Argus is called Boroslavay. Then you enter Argus. My brother and i were 2 of the last kids born in Trona (80 and 83) when there was still a hospital in operation there. There is definately a strong older community there that is slowly dwindling. Trona has a very specific beauty and strong bond within its community.
I used to live in Ridgecrest from 1991 to 1996. I've been to Trona once or twice.
I'm wondering if the great basin falls have water again.
My brother Don & his wife Tami still reside there in Pioneer Point. They will be lifers.
On my way
I’ve been to the library a few times on business. It’s an interesting area. I’m hoping to come back an do some exploring.
We normally say, the plant. Also that's the lime pile when you first come in through westend.
2 questions...
1. Where's the pretty blonde in your screenshot that I clicked to see?
2. Why is it named Trona?
Randsburg, Ridgecrest, Johannesburg, Red Mountain & Argus were all historic mining towns. That smoke is actually steam from drying product. Searles Lake (private digging area) is where most of the Pink Halite (salt) mineral specimens are mined. Hanksite and some other great crystals. Mother in law tried to move to Randsburg but she was repeatedly burglarized between loads by tweakers or some other common thieves.
Was assigned to the Ridgecrest resident post with the C.H.P. mid to late 80's. Kerr McGee still have a large presence there?
Just went through this valley. Friendly young women at the convenience/gas stop. Retired folks might like it here. Ridge crest just up the road.
I worked at Kerr McGee and lived in Ridgecrest. :)
Trona is a wonderful place.
I'm thinking about relocating to the Death Valley area real soon!. Myself and friends used to go out to Ballarat and camp for a week but we used to go into Trona to get supplies and stuff and I would like to find out about the cost of housing in the town? If you have any info about this send me a text!. Thanks! Oh!, P.S. what is going on with the drug issues?. I'm looking for a non-drug environment!.
To all you people that live there, first, I hear a lot that the people are friendly and it is an excellent community, I envy you for that, but I’m curious: What do you guys do for entertainment?
USed to a nice town. My father-in-law was the captain of the high school football team. They kicked everyones butt on the field because their field was sand. They would play Bishop, CA and whoop their backside. Now the town is mostly abandoned homes and meth labs
What happened to that old swimming reservoir that was operational in the late 1960's.
Used to have a great time there on a weekend night
The thing was huge as I recall. Good times when Trona was booming 😅
Has a huge crack in the foundation. It's still there just the company keeps it closed.
What are the Trona Booming sounds?
What's the temperature like in summer and winter..
It's the desert so it can get in the 40s in the winter and 100+ in the summers
@@brianwangenheim Thanks👍
Trona is routinely 105-110 degrees in the July and August
No mention of Gem-O-rama
You can live nice in Trona.
Nuttin but damn underground monsters!!!
sodium carbonate aka baking soda, made from trona
What you're seeing aren't factories, but solution mines.
I cringe his use of the term factory (Which implies something is assembled) they are plants. There's the west end plant, the Argus plant etc. Processing Trona ore into soda ash, sodium sulfate, borax, boric acid etc.
Are the only jobs in town at the Boron plant?
In the late 60’s and early 70’s I was in Trona frequently, a beautiful Oasis in a barren land, trees, lawns, well maintained homes, good restaurants, smiling faces and then the environmentalists and L.A. school board became involved. What you see is the result of their involvement. It’s called criminal actions.
What’s the population now?
I lived there for a while
Homes are cheap out there but i see a lot of burned out lots which makes me think there are a lot of tweakers. Can anybody tell me if homes are safe if left alone for a while?? Like what if somebody bought a house just for winter stays. I know there's no grocery until Ridgecrest which is a decent drive to go just for food
I chased wild burros out there
They need a vinegar factory.!
Kerr,McGee mining company.
The worst thing about Trona is the smell. Disgusting!
My friend lives there it’s mostly older, retired people, and it’s predominantly white at least that’s what it was.
No it's not mostly old people. An it has all different races of people living here.
What a nitemare!
Know it all to well! 🫠
mining towns run out of stuff to mine, shrink.
ask nevada.
i'm glad my hometown is still kicking.
You forgot the mention air quality in the valley looked into a electrical maintenance job some years back but lungs told me different agent orange has taken its toll but I visit the area every couple of years have met a few people who live there while fishing at lake Diaz in lone pine🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🪖army DAV,,,,👍👍
Please explain the air quality/ lung issue. I have COPD and lived in Ridgecrest for 5 years. I had ER trips every spring and was on O2 for 2 yrs. My O2 stats improved to where I didn't need supplemental oxygen and later moved to the coast, where I don't have breathing problems at all.
@@brendawaggoner7555 i worked out of there years ago--the crap in the air there is just mineral rich--affects people differently just like most things do--Owens dry lake south of Lone Pine used to affect some people when the winds blew up major dust--they spent 500 million bucks to solve a 10 million $ problem by putting a clay cap on the lake bed--If you go to work in Trona you are well aware of the dust issue
77 years old COPD and other lung disease 100,%Dav line in high desert North of Reno doing great
Air quality is what worries me. I love Trona and I'm torn on getting a property there.
@@anemoiatrippin Trona is pretty much the most affordable housing in CA. Great place to live if you find the right spot.
I just drove through there for the first time to view a house for sale. The views are exceptional but the neighborhood was full of beat up homes with stuff piled up in the yards. Not at all a place I could feel safe in 🫤 Im enjoying your videos about the area!
go to pioneer point
@@user9079_ Swear I saw lawns & sidewalks there, similar to Hawthorne/Torrance, near L.A., 20 years ago. Anyway it was a nice neighborhood.